Life-coaching: the one action that guarantees more energy

And six ways to to do it

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By Sam Wigan

24 February 2016

Image: Tom Allen for Harper's Bazaar

Struggling with your energy levels? Try this one simple thing...

KEEP YOUR AGREEMENTS

There is a part of your brain that keeps track every time you make an agreement with yourself or another. Weirdly, this part of your consciousness doesn't distinguish between the magnitude of your agreements, and it is very literal. If you say, "I'll be there at 4pm" and you get there at 4.01pm, you didn't keep your agreement.

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Because we get so accustomed to making agreements that we have no intention of keeping, our tracking system gets confused and tired. You will begin to lose self-trust and experience lethargy in relation to your goals. When you say you are going to do something, a part of you isn't so sure. If you want to have more energy, become more conscious in the way you make and keep your agreements.

Here are six ways to help you to stick to your agreements (and have more energy):

1. Make fewer agreements

Stop agreeing to everything! Think first, "Can I really do this, or am I people-pleasing?"

2. Only commit to what you know you will do

Rather than committing to "I will run a mile daily", how about "I will run once a fortnight or more"?

3. Write it down

Or in some way capture it, so that you will be reminded to do it when you need to be.

4. Really commit

If you said you would get that report in by Friday, make sure you do. If you must renegotiate, renegotiate at the earliest moment.

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5. Rearrange…

your personal-training session the day before it's scheduled, when you realise that an unexpected meeting would conflict, not 10 minutes before.

6. Declare it done

That book that has been sitting half-read for the last year on your bedside table: declare it complete and put it back in the book shelf. Your tracking system will will love you for this.

Next week: the secret to getting out of your own way, forgiveness and the four quick steps to freedom.

Sam Wigan is a life coach, specialising in coaching for successful women. He has 20 years of experience in the world of personal development and self-awareness. He coaches internationally and creates tailored coaching programmes for individuals and small groups (samwigancoaching.com).

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